Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-30
AUGUSTA DISTRICT
Report of Rev. A. w. Po,,,. :.
ference

new "A. W. Pottle, presiding elder of the
augusta District. N E. church, made tho
io'io"lng report at the conference.
Augusta district exteads from H.,,owo,,
Monmouth and Leeds on the sou,h - n gu,
river on the north, a distance Of .hor, .;a,.a
nve miles, and east and west from ths 49,
oec 10 the Androscoggin valleys. a distance
VI ABOUT forty miles. 1t includes in its ia,
Itory nifty towns in the four count;e. of
nenneoec, Somerset, Franklin and Andres
.osgin. Inc district is divided into thirty.
wv pastoral charges, three of which have
un't nominal existence, as they are served
" pastors from Contiguous charges
Ireacnlng Is sustained in forty towns NJ
SIX! oinerent places. At no point in the dis.
49, .ne,e more than one preaching service
ON the Sabbath. 'N'
nesiulhg within the limits of the distr;c,
are sixty eight Methodist preachers. fonr of
"hom are superaunuated, four supernumar.
~, t"enty-three in effective relations. and
'nirty SIX 10 the local ranks. OF the latter
eieVeh are local elders, FIVE are deacons and
twenty ilcentlates. Nine local preachers
nave served as pastors, two belong to the
ooafd OF instruction at KenIs Hill. and four
are students 10 the seminary Four have
oeen recommended for admission on proba.
ton in this conference.
rive widows of conference preachers have
reeioeo within the bounds of the district, one
VI "hom' MRS. Daniel Wentworth, recently
pa. sed to her heavenly rest, after an earthly
pilgrimage of ninety-one years.
During the year there have been no des,bs
among the preachers or in their families. eth.
er travelling or local, and the health of the
pastors has permitted them to perform the
duties OF their office without interruption.
The unusually severe winter has seriously
interfered with our work, especially on the
rural charges, interrupting special revival
services, diminishing the Sabbath congrega-
tions' and we fear reducing the collections,
100 many OF our pastors postponing their be-
nevoient collections till the winter months.
Inc year, however, on the whole, has been
good one TO the church financially, socially,
spiritually. Reveals have non been so nu
merous or extensive as one year Ago. and yet
nearly every charge reports conversions, spir-
itual quickening and hopeful outlook for
the future.
In the line of improvement of church
property and paying church debts something
has been done
little more than year ago the society at
East Wilton purchased parsonage at cost
OF $500. Since then a stable has been added
and other improvements made bringing the
property up to the value of $1,000 on which is
An indebtedness of $500.
Early in the year $50 was laid out in out
side repairs on the church at Fairfield, and
recently movement has been inaugurated to
remodel the audience room at an expense of
$1,000
The parsonage at Pennington early in the
year was repaired and improved at an expense
of about 5000. Ia October their beautiful
church, costing recently SIP 900, was burned,
with the finest portion of the village. The
Methodist society, in this misfortune, were
fortunate in having an insurance of eight
thousand dollars and in the person of their
pastor man remarkably we'll qualified to
lead on his people in the work of rebuilding.
The church lot has been enlarged by the pur
chase OF the adjoining lot owned by Bro.
John Allen, and in the near future a new and
attractive house will take the place of the
one destroyed by fire.
The church at Starks, repaired one year
ago, has been further furnished and improv-
ed at an expense of 800
At Kent's Hill, the church has been put in
complete repair throughout, re- plastered and
re painted, outside and in, new windows and
upholstered at a cost of about $780,
At East Monmouth the old club has been
repaired at an expense of $500. One hun
dred dollars has been laid out on the chapel
at North Arson. Skowhegan has added a
furnace to its church heating apparatus cost
ing 5000 and paid 500 on parsonage debt.
The church at Wayne has been recarpeted,
Pews cushioned and other improv
made, costing about $780, Winthrop has
added a tower to its church edlfice with fine
toned bell costing $500
Watervlle has cancelled its church debt Of
$500. Leeds has paid off its parsonage debt
of $3.50 King6eld at last accounts was rails
ing its parsonage debt of 5000, with good
prospect of success. Oakland has reduced its
debt to less than $50.
The Sunday schools of the district, with one
or two exceptions are not what they ought to
be.